ARKA News Agency
Jan 14 2005

Staff changes made in RA Government

The U.S. appears to be gaining influence in Armenia – Human Rights
Watch report

Armenia still has no full freedom of speech – Human Rights Watch
report

Process of Nagorno Karabakh settlement developed irregularly in 2004
– Armenian Foreign Ministry

Trade turnover between Russia and Armenia makes USD 169.3 mln for ten
months of 2004 – Armenian Foreign Ministry

EIF to represent Armenia at CeBIT 2005 international ICT expo

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STAFF CHANGES MADE IN RA GOVERNMENT

YEREVAN, January 14. /ARKA/. Staff changes made in RA Government. In
accordance to RA President’s decree Gegham Garibdjanian was appointed
on the position of Deputy Foreign Minister.
Newly appointed deputy minister in the end of 2004 completed his
six-year mission of RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
to Iran. L.D. –0 –

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THE U.S. APPEARS TO BE GAINING INFLUENCE IN ARMENIA – HUMAN RIGHTS
WATCH REPORT

YEREVAN, January 14. /ARKA/. The U.S. appears to be gaining influence
in Armenia, which traditionally has looked to Russia for military and
economic ties. The U.S. increased military aid and cooperation and,
after initially refusing to involve itself, in 2004 Armenia agreed to
send a small contingent of non-combatant military personnel to Iraq.
The U.S. also designated Armenia as one of sixteen countries to be
eligible for a multi-million dollar aid program called the Millennium
Challenge Account. The U.S. stated that the flow of money was
dependent on improvements in Armenia’s human rights record.
The Council of Europe effectively engaged Armenia to roll back some
of the government’s more authoritarian practices in 2004. The council
continued its scrutiny of Armenia’s post-accession obligations,
noting progress in complying with some commitments, such as abolition
of the death penalty, while expressing disappointment in other areas,
such as the conduct of the 2003 elections. In April, the council’s
Parliamentary Assembly passed a resolution under an urgent procedure,
expressing concern about the government crackdown against opposition
supporters that month. Armenia responded by releasing the opposition
supporters who were in custody on criminal charges and dropping the
charges against many of them.
In September 2004, the European Union and Armenia met under the
framework of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.
Unfortunately, the E.U. failed to use this forum publicly to
encourage human rights improvements, issuing a press release that did
not raise human rights concerns. In a step that could increase the
ability of the E.U. to influence Armenia on human rights, it included
Armenia in its European Neighborhood Policy, giving privileged ties
with the bloc. Officials warned that economic benefits would not flow
until at least 2007, when Armenia will have to have negotiated action
plans on economic and political reforms. L.D. -0 –

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ARMENIA STILL HAS NO FULL FREEDOM OF SPEECH – HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
REPORT

YEREVAN, January 14. /ARKA/. Although Armenia has a significant
independent and opposition print media, the government continued to
restrict full media freedom in the country. On April 5, 2004, the
Russian television channel NTV had its broadcasting suspended
throughout the country, after broadcasting footage of opposition
protests. The official reason given for the suspension was `technical
problems.’ By the end of September, NTV had not resumed broadcasting
and the government had given its broadcasting frequency to another
Russian channel that does not do news programming. In October,
Kentron, a private Armenian television station, cancelled a Radio
Free Europe and Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) news and analysis program
three days after it began broadcasts. RFE/RL believed that a
high-level government official had forced the cancellation. Local
NGOs continue a campaign for broadcasting rights for A1+ television,
which had been a highly popular and independent channel. The national
broadcasting commission remains steadfast, however, refusing to grant
licenses to A1+ and Noyan Tapan television channels, which were shut
down in 2002 and 2001 respectively. L.D. -0–

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PROCESS OF NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT DEVELOPED IRREGULARLY IN 2004
– ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY

YEREVAN, January 14. /ARKA/. The process of Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement developed irregularly in 2004, as Press and Information
Department of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reports this is stated in
report of Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Valery Loshchinin
summarizing Russian foreign policy in 2004. According to the report,
the meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents Robert
Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev organized by Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group (Russia, USA, France) in April in Warsaw enable after a year
and half pause to re-launch negotiations between the sides. Since May
thru August four rounds of consultations under aegis of Co-Chairs
were held four rounds of consultations between two countries Foreign
Ministers. As a result of Prague consultations were outlined
perspective opportunities of solution of the most difficult issues of
the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement that were presented to Armenian and
Azerbaijani Presidents reviews.
The report mentions that the topic of the conflict settlement was
discussed by the Russian President Vladimir Putin during repeated
conversations with Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents. It was
permanently present in agenda of the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov’s with Foreign Minister of both countries. Russia was calling
constantly the sides on responsible and flexible behavior, convincing
them that only own efforts of the countries may bring to the mutually
acceptable solution. During the contacts the Russian position that
mediator efforts of Co-Chairs may only promote the sides to find a
compromise, was repeatedly stressed. During Astana three-lateral
summit with participation of Russian President on September 15 both
countries Presidents agreed to take time-out until the end of October
2004. However on October 14 Baku initiated inclusion in the agenda of
the 59th session of the UN General Assembly the issue on situation on
the occupied lands of Azerbaijan that hindered the prompt resume of
the negotiating process.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry the situation was possible
to clear in the beginning of December as a result of meeting of
Co-Chairs with Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in Sofia
and Brussels, during which Baku promised not to put to voting its
resolution project, while Yerevan agreed with support of sending a
mission in end of January-early February of 2005 to the `occupied
lands’ around Nagorno Karabakh that would seek, if any facts related
to settlements on the territories with participation of the OSCE
Minsk Group country representatives. At the same time the sides
agreed to resume Prague talks on discussion of various elements of
the conflict settlements, the reguilar round of which was held on 11
January, 2005. T.M. -0–

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TRADE TURNOVER BETWEEN RUSSIA AND ARMENIA MAKES USD 169.3 MLN FOR TEN
MONTHS OF 2004 – ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY

YEREVAN, January 14. /ARKA/. The trade turnover between Russia and
Armenia makes USD 169.3 mln for ten months of 2004. As Press and
Information Department of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reports this
is stated in report of Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Valery
Loshchinin summarizing Russian foreign policy in 2004. According to
the report Russian-Armenian relations in 2004 acquired a new dynamics
and were characterized by more active contacts on highest and high
levels. During the year Russian and Armenian Presidents had five
meetings. Activity of Russian-Armenian Intergovernmental Committee on
Economic Affairs resumed its activity: its Co-Chairs held a meeting
in October in Yerevan, while holding of the sixth meeting is
scheduled in late December in Moscow. `We revealed new directions of
mutual business cooperation: banking investments. Russia maintained
the position of the key trade partner and investor in Armenia’, the
report mentions. According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry the sides
also were developing successful relations in humanities sphere. To
improve the education sphere, Russian and Armenian Education
Ministries signed agreement on cooperation.
To mention according to Armenian National Statistical Service, trade
turnover between Armenia and Russia in January-October 2004 made USD
206.7 mln (export – USD 65566.8 thou., import – USD 141117.4 thou.),
versus USD 245.5 mln for the same period in 2003 (export – USD
75456.1 thou., import – USD 170068.3 thou.) T.M. -0–

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EIF TO REPRESENT ARMENIA AT CEBIT 2005 INTERNATIONAL ICT EXPO

YEREVAN, January 14. /ARKA/. Enterprises Incubator Fund EIF will
present Armenian IT industry at CeBIT 2005 largest international ICT
expo to be held in Hanover (Germany) from March 10 to 16th, 2005. The
press release of the Fund says that Armenian booth (21 sq. meter, two
open sides) will be located in Hall 8 dedicated to outsourcing.
Enterprises Incubator Foundation was founded by the RA Government
with financial assistance of WB in 2002. The objective of the Fund is
to assist the ICT companies and stimulate economic growth in this
area. The activities of the Fund are aimed at organization of
training courses, implementation of curricula together with higher
education institutions of the republic and providing necessary spaces
for IT companies. L.V. -0–